To view all award categories, click here.
01.
Nominations open: Tuesday, 14 July 2026
Nominations open across all 37 categories. Individuals and organisations can self-nominate or be nominated by a third party. The submission period runs for approximately four weeks.
02.
Submissions close: Friday, 14 August 2026
All submissions must be received by the closing date. Late entries cannot be accepted. Each submission must address the category criteria with supporting evidence and documentation.
03.
Initial review and shortlisting
The awards team conducts an initial review of all submissions to ensure they meet the minimum requirements. Complete submissions are then provided to the judging panel for assessment.
04.
Independent judging panel assessment
Each submission is reviewed independently by at least three judges with relevant domain expertise. Judges score against the published criteria for each category. The panel is drawn from industry, academia, and government, with no sitting judge permitted to assess a category in which they have a conflict of interest.
05.
Deliberation and consensus
The full judging panel convenes to review scores, discuss leading submissions, and reach consensus on winners and finalists in each category. Where scores are tied, the panel chair facilitates discussion to reach a determination.
06.
Finalists announced: Thursday, 10 September 2026
Shortlisted finalists are announced publicly via AI Daily and the awards website. Finalists receive a promotional kit that includes digital assets, media templates, and guidance on maximising recognition.
07.
Winners revealed: Friday, 30 October 2026
Winners are announced at the black-tie gala ceremony at Hyatt Regency, Sydney. All winners receive a trophy, certificate, and post-event media coverage through AI Daily and partner publications.
Principles
Judging Principles
I
Independence
All judges are appointed independently and recuse themselves from categories where any conflict of interest exists.
F
Fairness
Every submission is evaluated against the same published criteria. Judges do not compare submissions against each other – they assess each one against the standard.
E
Evidence-Based
Winners are determined by the quality of written evidence, not reputation, tenure, or company size.
C
Confidentiality
All submissions and judging deliberations are treated as strictly confidential.
T
Transparency
The criteria and methodology are published in full so every entrant knows exactly what is being assessed.
Partners
Trusted by leaders
Gold partner
Research partner
Media partners
Charity partner